Staff/Sr. Staff Software Engineer – Planning/Path Reasoning

DiDi Labs • San Jose, CA

78d

About The Position

We are seeking a Staff or Senior Staff Software Engineer to lead the development of the strategic intelligence for our autonomous vehicles. You will define the algorithms for high-level reasoning, decision-making, and interaction-aware planning in complex environments.

Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D. in CS, Robotics, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in autonomous systems, focusing on decision-making, agent & world modeling and planning.
• Expert proficiency in C++/Python and experience as a technical lead.
• Deep expertise in motion planning decision-making (behavior planning, world modeling, agent reaction & reasoning under uncertainty).

Nice To Haves

• Background in POMDPs, reinforcement learning, or game theory is a bonus.
• Experience in leading a decision-making team in a commercial AV program.
• Publications in robotics/AI conferences on decision-making or planning.
• Experience with simulation frameworks for policy and behavior validation.

Responsibilities

• Architect the geometric reasoning system for long-horizon planning and multi-agent interactions, resolving dense urban stuck situation and make vehicle drive with both efficiency and safety.
• Lead development of decision-making algorithms for ambiguous scenarios.
• Drive the integration of prediction and planning to enable proactive behaviors.
• Establish metrics and validation frameworks for decision quality and safety.
• Provide technical leadership and mentor junior & senior engineers within the team.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Master's degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees